Ontario Government to Increase Vehicle Licensing Fees in 2016

The Ontario government is going to reach a little further into the pockets of drivers and vehicle owners in the new year.

The province will be moving forward with a series of driver and vehicle license fee increases set to rise on January 1st.

While driver’s license applications and renewal fees will remain unchanged, vehicle license validation, plate fees, trailers and farm vehicle permits will see owners having to shell out even more than what many already consider too much.

The annual fee for vehicle permit, number plate and validation fees for a trailer will increase from $53 to $59, while the cost of a license plate will go from $20 to $25.

The annual validation fee for heavy farm vehicles will see the biggest jump, up to $1,100 from $975. Smaller farm vehicles will go from $123 to $140.

In Southern Ontario, the cost of commercial vehicle validation for business or personal use will see an increase from $108 to $120.

The new year will also see the roll out of a new $50 fee for drivers that are required to attend demerit point interviews.

The province says the fee increases are needed to generate additional revenue to support the maintenance of Ontario’s 16,900 kilometres of roads, highways and 2,800 bridges that connect them. They say that until last year, there had not been an increase in many fees in the previous 15 years.

For a full list of fee changes, including increases into 2018, with the Service Ontario website.